Location Description:

Making good use of garlic and tingly sichuan peppercorns, this Michelin-starred Sichuan restaurant in Midtown West hits all the staples of the cuisine: Ma Po Tofu, Dan Dan Noodles, and Camphor Tea Smoked Duck. But the menu also features an extensive selection of offal in chile sauce, and makes good use of such hard-to-find meats as rabbit, frog, and catfish in its entrees. Catering to the Midtown office crowd with daily lunch specials, and to milder palates with a selection of generic Cantonese dishes (General Tso's Chicken, Pork-Fried Rice), while also taking an unusual level of care with its vegetarian dishes (especially good are the salt-and-pepper lotus root and pumpkin sauteed with green chilies. Headed by a chef trained in Chengdu, this unusually versatile restaurant has a friendly, accommodating staff, and it even offers beer and wine to wash everything down. --Diana Clarke